The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-10-26
McKendree Church and Emm Alb
bolt.
Nashville American, Oct. r..

tce, last evening. thompson Anoetsoh
presided in the chair, and j. d. Hamilton
was Secretary. The following preamble
and resolutions were presented BY Dr.
II. Morgan, and seconded by Mr.. henry
Hart:
WHEREAS, recent events in our midst nave
directed special attention to the question OF
the relation of the Church of Christ TO the
theater; and
WHEREAS, this question is one of pro-
found interest to all who have at heart the
purity, peace, and prosperity of the Church
and the highest good of humanity; ana,
WHEREAS, existing conditions affecting
this question imperatively demand the
prayerful consideration of our people, and
wise, firm, and timely administrative &C
ton ON the part of their pastor; and,
WHEREAS, we regard the present time as
eminently fitting for us to give distinct ana
emphatic expression to our views concern
ing matter so deeply involving the wei
fare of the Church; therefore,
ResOlued, That, in common with all other
evangelical Churches, the Methodist Epls-
copal Church, South, has, during Its entire
history, borne uniform testimony against
the theater as inimical to the Christian life
and hurtful to public morals; the General
Conference having again and again, IN
tors interpreting the General Rules as clear
ly forbidding theater-going on the ground
that it is one of those diversions that can
not be taken in the name of the Lord
Jesus"
Res0lred That we. the members of the
Official Board of McKendree Church, are IN
hearty sympathy with the law of the Church
and these deliverances of our chief pastors
in relation to the theater; that the Sermon
OF our pastor, Rev. w. A. Candler,I on Sun
day, Oct, 8, 1887, voiced our convictions
concerning this matter, and that we pledge
| ourselves to give the pastors who may here
| after minister to US in sacred things our
| sympathy, our moral support, and our Of
| fetal cooperation in all proper effort and
| disciplinary measures to Danish theater-
| going from the Church.
Resotred, That our indignation at theyio-
| lation of propriety and the law of the land
| by an actress who interrupted the religious
services of McKendree Church on Sunday
last is enhanced by the fagrantly false ac-
counts which have been sent forth by the
p:ess dispatches in relation to the matter.
| There might have been few persons in the
rear of the congregation who were in sym
pathy with the offender; but so far from
| applauding her conduct the evident feeling
of the congregation was that of indigna-
ton mingled with disgust. The Christian
and dignifed bearing of our pastor on the
occasion met our unqualified approval.
| ReSolred, That, God being our helper, we
will, both by precept and example, seek to
promote that spirituality in the Church
that will cause our people to prefer the
worship and service of God to the pleasures
of sin, to choose the communion of saints
rather than run with the multitude to do
evil, and, if need be, to suffer the reproach
of Christ rather than purchase the friend
ship of the world by compromising the
| truth as it is in Jesus.
After the preamble and resolutions had
been read Bishop McTyeire made the fol
| lowing remarks:
Demonstrating into the city this
morning, after two weeks absence, l heard
a preamble and resolutions of the character
| just submitted would be acted on by Nc
Kendree Church tonight, and / purposed
to attend. The subject matter was not
news. On the route home and at Abingdon
the Knoxville and other papers had it
"Let me read to you the McKendree sensa-
| ton of last Sunday" said preacher to q
company of us. And he read how an ac-
| tress had invaded your sanctuary and con-
| fronted the pastor and congregation with
| an indignant rebuke at the conclusion OF
his sermon on the theater. More, that the
congregation heartily applauded her smart
| speech; she carried the house before her,
and many rushed to congratulate her for
her pluck and eloquence in defense of her
self and her craft.
| Some of our little company hung their
| heads in shame for McKendree Church;
others doubted-it looked so much like an
advertising catch. l ventured to assure
4 {l.4 Al 4 III
represented. The laws of the land jealous
| ly protect worshipping congregations from
| interruption and scandal; and surely the
| congregations of this old and well Unframed
church could never furnish ill-bred and ir-
| reverent people in sufficient number to toll
crate and enact such scene. At Chatta-
| nooga the report grew worse, as the papers
of that city and of other cities fell into our
| hands. "Thunderous applause greeted
| the actress, carriages of the best people"
drove to her lodgings to congratulate her
for rebuking Mr.. Gambler, who was made
| to take very tame part all through
copy of the sermon was procured, and
after carefully reading. 1 could see no cause
The sermon ways nervous and to the point;
the authorities quoted we're various, respec-
table, venerable, and overwhelming; the
| argument was clear, and the conclusion
orthodox. Was the actress trying her hand
in new part in order to work up an adver-
tisement? Or did the truth uttered, as our
Brother Gambler knows how to utter it,
enrage her beyond controR Did the Nc
Kendree congregation forget its own self
respect so far as to cheer this brazen vio-
lator of propriety, instead of turning her
over to the police? Well, my journey end
ed, and so did my questioning suspense. 1
soon learned that not only vanities, but ly-
ing vanities, had gone abroad. You are
about to clear yourselves before the world.
Your correction, if you see fit to adopt this
paper, will never overtake these sensation
al falsehoods; but you will Justify old Nc
Kendree before those whose good opinion
you cherish, and you will remove a possible
reproach and stumbling block. More, you
stand by your faithful pastor while he
stands by his duty. This is honorable and
just and right. You owe it to him and to
the truth and to us all.
"The world will love its own said our
Lord. Be not surprised that your pastor
is spoken of as fanatical and narrow by a
certain class, and that a large and noisy
class. My how the lovers of pleasure
more than the lovers of God will enjoy this |
story. How they will garnish it up, and |
circulate it, and applaud the "plucky little |
actress" as they style her. She bearded the |
lion in his den. She did, indeed, and car
ried off the spoil. Now, sell tickets for the |
show. The men and women who run thea /
tiers will make the most of it. This morn /
ing's paper has an extensive telegram head
ed "Honors for Emma" telling how, last |
night, in the Opera House of Chattanooga.
the city editor appeared on the stage, "in
the name of large number of the best
and presenting Miss Abbott
with a magnificent solid silver testimonial
for her conduct in McKendree Church.
Her reply is given in full-how she met the
shameless ISLANDERS" of the minister No
doubt the New York and other papers dis
play the same advertisement to-day. Who
got up this telegram? Think you the reg
llar agent of the Associated Press did itY
Hardly. The agents of this Abbott troupe
night possibly tell us. Who sent out into
Ill the land those lying reports that APP
oeared in Mondays papers. 1t is barely
possible they could tell us that also. 1t
pays.
Itwould be amusing to see how people
Who patronize theaters are caught with such
half, if there were not a serious side to this
business. There is a very serious side. 1t
concerns every Church in Nashville and in
tennessee. Have we not laws for the pro-
ection of public worship, and are we ready
o surrender them to strolling players, If .
poor drunkard staggsrs into the house of
rod and behaves disorderly, he is locked
p and fined. If thoughfless rustic talks
90 loud, or otherwise swaggers into misbe-
aviour not only in Church but under an
tumble bush-arbor where religious services {
re being held, the officers of the law at | 1
end to him. And shall this open, boastful | (
reach of good order in McKendree Church 9
Q allowed to pass as theatrical sensation, '
My bringing money and notoriety to the | a
fenderf What congregation is safe from | +